Summer 2014 Clinic Students

Libby Busdicker is a second-year law student and Michigan native. Libby received her Bachelor of Arts from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and has returned to Michigan with plans to live in Detroit upon graduation. She interned with the Honorable Lita M. Popke in Wayne County’s circuit courts in the Summer of 2013. Currently, she is a member of the Michigan State Law Review and a blogger for MSU Law’s Beyond Clause 8. Her interest in Land Use Law, along with a love for Detroit and eating, have motivated her to promote urban farming and local food through legal advocacy.

Michael Marshall is a third-year law student at the Michigan State University College of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Spanish from Grand Valley State University. He is active in many organizations at the Law College, including the Christian Legal Society and Black Law Students Association. Michael is from Detroit, Michigan and has been blessed to have worked in both the Law Offices of Jeffrey Edison and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. His ultimate goal is to be a United States Supreme Court Justice. Because he is very passionate about Detroit, Michael seeks to do everything he can to help revitalize the city and serve its people with excellence. He has chosen to work in the Urban Food, Farm, and Agriculture Law Clinic to help secure Detroit’s future by building a sustainable economy and a wealth of businesses focused on providing healthy food options.

Jonathan Arias is a 2L from Homestead, FL. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in Agriculture from Florida A&M University. His family moved to an avocado grove when he was 10, and that sparked his interest in agriculture throughout high school on to law school. He is a serial entrepreneur who has launched several companies. His first was a bakery that he launched as a senior in college. For the past two years he has been an independent small business consultant and has helped several companies improve marketing, improve systems, and raise revenue. He is married and has one son and a daughter who will be born in July 2014

Chris Richards is a third-year law student at Michigan State University College of Law. Chris received his Bachelors of Science in Political Science/Pre-Law with minors in History and English from Northern Michigan University in May, 2011. His interest in urban agriculture and environmental advocacy began through his love of hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities. These interests have since developed through his experiences living, working, and volunteering in Marquette Michigan, an environmentally friendly and outdoor oriented community. Chris hopes to assist the city of Detroit in developing their urban agriculture movement through the Clinic as well as his life experiences. He also hopes to focus his career around the renaissance of Detroit, which will be led by small businesses and non-profits such as urban farms. When not consumed by law school related activities, Chris enjoys hiking, skiing, golfing, tennis, camping, swimming, and just about any other outdoor sport or activity.

Nellie David is a third year law student from southern Arizona. Nellie received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Arizona State University. She has previously interned for the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Legislative Attorney’s Office in Arizona and is currently working towards a certificate in Indigenous Law and Policy along with her J.D. She currently works for the MSU Indigenous Law and Policy Center as part of the Quicwa Compliance Collaborative. Her involvement in the practicum stems from an interest sustainable and innovative methods to improve the health and lives of communities through urban food, farm, and agriculture. She enjoys food, travel, camping, and music.

James M. Curcio is a third-year law student from Garnerville, New York. James received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy, from Syracuse University, and thereafter spent time working for the New York State Legislature and an estates and trusts firm before deciding to attend law school at Michigan State. James is co-founder of the Phillip Mathangani Foundation, a fledgling nonprofit organization that administers an annual scholarship to college-bound high school graduates and provides college mentoring services to students in his hometown. He is passionate about the environment, the ability of urban farming to revitalize communities and improve public health, transparency and accountability in business and government, and the growing impact and importance of not-for-profit organizations. Upon being admitted to the bar, James intends on practicing in the fields of estates and trusts, tax law, and not-for-profit business corporation law. When time allows, James enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and big-budget HBO series.